Roy Posts Third Shutout in a Row

Patrick Roy recorded a career-best third consecutive shutout, and the Colorado Avalanche defeated the slumping New Jersey Devils, 2-0, Sunday at East Rutherford, N.J., in a rematch of last season’s Stanley Cup finals.

Defenseman Rob Blake ended a 12-game goal-less streak by scoring twice. The Avalanche were 0-5-1 before Roy began his streak.

Roy made 33 saves in extending his shutout streak to 183 minutes 53 seconds, topping his previous best of 168:47 with Montreal in 1990.

He has four shutouts this season and 56 in his career.

Roy, 37, left the Devils shaking their heads at least a dozen times in sending them to their fourth consecutive loss and extending their winless streak to five games.

Blake staked Roy to a 2-0 lead, scoring on a 40-foot slap shot that goaltender Martin Brodeur misplayed with 1:29 left in the first period.

Four seconds after Scott Niedermayer was penalized for hooking, Blake scored on a slap shot from the left point at 5:04 of the second period. Joe Sakic won a faceoff to set up the goal.

After that, Roy was in command, especially in the second period, when New Jersey outshot Colorado, 15-11.

During one Devil power play, Roy stopped five shots, including deflections in front by Patrik Elias and Bobby Holik, and a breakaway by Petr Sykora.

Roy has given up nine goals in nine starts. He was the most valuable player of the playoffs last season as Colorado beat New Jersey in seven games.

New York Rangers 6, Atlanta 2--Eric Lindros scored three goals, including his 300th, and assisted on another for the Rangers at New York.

Mike York had four assists and Theo Fleury three, giving the Lindros line 11 points.

It was the 12th hat trick of Lindros’ career and first with the Rangers.

He had 10 three-goal games and one four-goal game with Philadelphia before being traded to New York in the off-season.

Lindros took a feed from York and blasted a shot from the right circle past Milan Hnilicka at 5:37 of the second period for his 300th goal.

The goal gave the Rangers a 2-1 lead 26 seconds after Atlanta had tied the score.

Lindros scored his second goal at 7:34 of the third period and the third at 12:53.